Head for rag dolls



May 4 1926.

R. MACKAYY HEAD FOR RAG DOLLS Filed May 6. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 4 1926.

RMACKAY HEAD FOR {RAG DOLLS 1925 2 Sheets;-Sheet 7 Filed Ma yej Patented May 4, 1926.

UNITED S ATE PATENT OFFICE-.1,

- RUTLEL'MACKAY BELMONT, MAssAoHUsE'r'rs. I

, Brian FOR RAG nous Application filed May 6, 1925. Serial nafesassf To all whom it may concern;

Be it known I, RUTH MAoKAY, a" citizen of the United States, residing at Belmont, county of Middlesex, State of Massachu setts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Heads for-Rag Dolls, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My 'nvention relates to the making of heads for rag dolls, that is, to a type of doll having a face of cloth or otherelastic fabric stuffed with cotton or similar ,soft

fibrous material. :The particular object of the invention is to produce a doll having a more life-like expression than dolls as heretofore constructed.

The invention will be from the'following description when taken in connection withthe accompanying draws ings, and the novel features thereof will be 'pointed .out and clearly defined in the laims at the close of this specification. 7 In the drawings: 1 V Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a foundation pad on which the head is constructed."

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the founda- -tiOn pad shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 showsithe forehead 'pad applied. Fig. 4 shows the cheekpads applied; Fig. 5 shows the nose pad applied. Fig. 6 showsthe lip pad applied. s Fig. 7 shows the chin pad applied.

Fig. 8 shows the built-up stufiing covered with elasticmaterial such as Jersey cloth.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation. of the dolls' head at the stage shown in Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 shows the eye stitches. applied.

Fig. 11 shows the-nose stitches applied. Fig. 12 shows the mouth stitches applied. Fig. 13fshows the fastening for the elastic eoveringfremoved and the additional cheekand chin stufiing inserted.

Fig. 14 shows the wig and'brain stuffing.

fully understoo small piece of Jerseycloth or other suitable material with some suitable fibrous material, such as cotton, wool 'or kapok, the

edges of the cloth. being folded/in anfdse cured on the back side by stitchingor other v Wise as indicated at- 12 lthen'make avsmall Wad 2,0fthe fibrous? material.(see Fig." 3) andplaceit across the front'ofthefoundation padill to form 'the forehead. Theforehead pad 12 covers the upper half of the foundation 'pad ll'and extends well beyond the side edges. It is securedjin place tothe foundation' pad' by concealed stitches. H s v Next, two cheek pads 14, 14, (see Fig.

of similar material are applied. They also.

extend well beyond the periphery of the foundation pad 11 "If'then apply" the nose pad 15 (see Fig.5), a lippad 16 (see Fig. 6), and a chin pad 17 (see Fig. 7), each of these pads being'secured in place prefer ably by concealedstitches.

Next, the stuffing infthe form shownin Fig. 7 is covered with apiece of flesh colore'd Jersey" cloth'l8 or other suitable material (see Figs. 8 and 9), the same being drawn tightly over the stufling and tied'with thread, as shown at 20jin Fig. 9. The Jersey cloth being elastic, tends'to follow some what the inequalitiesproducedby the sev-,,

eral pads and thus in part'" to" define the features. I p I 7 Next, I insert'twonose' stitches 22 ('see Fig. 1 1). Then I put in twoj eye stitches 21 at about the junction line betweenv the forehead pad 12 andthe cheek pads 14. These eye "stitches 21 define the lower 'mar-' gin of the eyes and the upper margin of the cheek. Next, I put in two; mouth stitches 28 (see Fig. 12): These stitches a en'ot ere dots and' are placed at'a slighflinclination to each other and are ver'yimport'antin-giv-- I I ing to thefacea 'life-likelexpression." hereafter, I'removethe thread20, loosen ing the ends of the jersey fabric 19, as shown at 24. (See Fig. 13.) I then push up under. the, Jersey fabric two additionalcheek pads 25 indicated indotted lines in Fig. '13; also, if required, additional stufiing for the chin. The additional cheek pads are pushed up as far as is permitted by the eye stitches 21. This accentuates the swelling of the cheek under the eye and prevents the flat expressionless appearance which ordinarily characterizes a rag doll. In combination with the two straight eye stitches 22, this then put in place, as shown in Fig. 16. The features are painted in with oil paints, due I regard being had to the position of the several stitches. It will be understood that the twov eye stitches 21, the lower margin of the eye, the pupils, eyebrows, and eyelashes are properly placed with relation thereto. Thereafter the head is placed on the dolls body, not shown.

In the dolls head construction, as here- .inbefore described, the life-like appearance of the features is due chiefly to three things :(1) the building up of the features by the use of individual pads for the several features secured to a foundation pad which leaves creases or hollows between the several pads into which the Jersey material fits owing to its elasticity, (2) the use of a long stitch in place of a dot or series of short stitches to formparts ofthe features, and (3) the re-stufling of the cheeks which pushes up the pad close under the eye producing theshape which is characteristic of a babys face. It will be understood, of course, that the features are painted in with suitable color combinations.

I .find that dolls made as described herein have a life-like appearance equal to or excelling dolls made from ceramic materials and that they lack the wooden-expression which have heretofore been characteristic of rag dolls. I furthermore find'that this lifelike appearance is due more to the construction described than to; the painting, since a doll made in the ordinary manner with the features painted as skillfully aspossible will have a wooden appearance and will lack altogether the; life-like appearance of a doll made as described herein.

This life-like appearance is largely due to the use of the individual or independent pads used in building up the several features, as set forth, these pads being all secured in place in the completedhead so that they will not become; displaced. Also the use of the elastic fabric covering 19 bearing. on the somewhat roughly shaped pads tends to soften or draw in the contours of the same and assists in producing the lifelike appearance of the completed head.

What I claim is:

1. A head for a rag doll which includes a foundation pad, independent pads all se-- cured in place on the foundation pad and arranged to simulate the several features se cured to said foundation pad, and a covering of elasticmaterial.

2. A head for a rag doll which includes a foundation pad, individual pads all secured in place on the foundation pad and ar ranged to simulate the several features, a covering of elastic material and stitches to assist in defining the features.

3. A head for a rag doll which includes a foundation pad, independent or individual pads, all secured in place on the foundation pad and arranged to simulate the severa-l features, a covering of elastic fabric, stitches to define the features in part and paint applied to the elastic covering to complete the features.

4:- A head for a rag doll consisting of a foundation pad and independent or individual pads to represent, respectively, the main part of the head including the forehead, the cheeks,'the nose, the lips, and the chin, said pads being all secured in place to said foundation pad, thus preventing displacement thereof, and a covering of elastic fabric over all of said pads.

5. A head for a rag doll consisting of a foundation pad and independent or individual pads to represent, respectively, the main part of the head including the forehead,'the cheeks, the nose, the lips, and the chin, said pads being all secured in place to said foundation pad, thus preventing displacement thereof, a covering of elastic fabric over all of said pads, and stitches to assist in defining some of the features.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signa- 

